# List of 2018 deaths in popular music

This is a list of notable performers of rock music and other forms of popular music, and others directly associated with the music as producers, songwriters, or in other closely related roles, who died in 2018.

## 2018 deaths in popular music

| Preceded by 2017 | List of deaths in popular music 2018 | Succeeded by 2019 |
| Name | Age | Date | Location | Cause of death |
| Betty Willis | 76 | January 1, 2018 | Santa Ana, California, U.S. | Strangled |
| Rick Hall Record producer | 85 | January 2, 2018 | Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Ray Thomas Moody Blues | 76 | January 4, 2018 | Surrey, England | Prostate cancer |
| Fujioka Mikio Babymetal | 36 | January 5, 2018 | | |
| Chris Tsangarides Record producer from Judas Priest, Depeche Mode | 61 | January 6, 2018 | | Heart failure following pneumonia |
| Jimmy Robinson Recording engineer, record producer | 67 | January 6, 2018 | New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| France Gall | 70 | January 7, 2018 | Neuilly-sur-Seine, France | Cancer |
| Denise LaSalle | 78 | January 8, 2018 | Jackson, Tennessee, U.S. | Complications from fall |
| Eddie Clarke Motörhead, Fastway | 67 | January 10, 2018 | | Pneumonia |
| Ernest H. Sanders German-born American musicologist | 99 | January 13, 2018 | New York, U.S. | |
| Barbara Cope Groupie | 67 | January 14, 2018 | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | House fire |
| Marlene VerPlanck | 84 | January 14, 2018 | Manhattan, New York, U.S. | Pancreatic cancer |
| Edwin Hawkins | 74 | January 15, 2018 | Pleasanton, California, U.S. | |
| Dolores O'Riordan The Cranberries | 46 | January 15, 2018 | London, England | Drowning caused by alcohol intoxication |
| Dave Holland Trapeze, Judas Priest | 69 | January 16, 2018 | Lugo, Spain | Lung cancer |
| Fredo Santana | 27 | January 20, 2018 | Reseda, Los Angeles, California | Seizure |
| Terry Evans | 80 | January 20, 2018 | U.S. | |
| Jim Rodford Argent, The Kinks, The Zombies | 76 | January 20, 2018 | St Albans, England | Complications from fall |
| Hugh Masekela | 78 | January 23, 2018 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Prostate cancer |
| Lari White | 52 | January 23, 2018 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Peritoneal cancer |
| Mark E. Smith The Fall | 60 | January 24, 2018 | Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England | Lung and kidney cancer |
| Buzz Clifford | 76 | January 26, 2018 | | Complications of influenza |
| Leah LaBelle | 31 | January 31, 2018 | Studio City, California | Traffic collision |
| Dennis Edwards The Temptations | 74 | February 1, 2018 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Complications from meningitis |
| Leon "Ndugu" Chancler Record producer and university professor | 65 | February 3, 2018 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Zeno Roth Uli Jon Roth | 61 | February 5, 2018 | | |
| John Perry Barlow Lyricist for The Grateful Dead, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Freedom of the Press Foundation | 70 | February 6, 2018 | San Francisco, California, U.S. | Complications from heart attack |
| Mickey Jones Kenny Rogers and the First Edition | 76 | February 7, 2018 | Simi Valley, California, U.S. | Diabetes |
| Pat Torpey Mr. Big | 64 | February 7, 2018 | | Complications of Parkinson's disease |
| Lovebug Starski Record producer for DJ Hollywood | 57 | February 8, 2018 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Craig MacGregor Foghat | 68 | February 9, 2018 | Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Wesla Whitfield | 70 | February 9, 2018 | St. Helena, California | |
| Jóhann Jóhannsson | 48 | February 9, 2018 | Berlin, Germany | Likely cocaine use |
| Troy Blakely Record producer for Scorpions, Poison, Red Hot Chili Peppers | 68 | February 10, 2018 | U.S. | Cancer |
| Vic Damone | 89 | February 11, 2018 | Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | Natural causes |
| Daryle Singletary | 46 | February 12, 2018 | Lebanon, Tennessee, U.S. | Blood Clot |
| Scott Boyer Cowboy | 70 | February 13, 2018 | Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S. | Peripheral artery disease |
| Little Sammy Davis | 89 | February 13, 2018 | Middletown, New York, U.S. | |
| Wim Claes Record producer | 56 | February 24, 2018 | | |
| Harvey Schmidt | 88 | February 28, 2018 | Tomball, Texas, U.S. | Congestive heart failure |
| Bill Burkette The Vogues | 75 | March 1, 2018 | | Unknown |
| Van McLain Shooting Star | 62 | March 2, 2018 | | West Nile virus |
| Virgilijus Noreika Lithuanian Pop singer and member of 3 Tigrai | 82 | March 3, 2018 | Vilnius, Lithuania | Cancer |
| Patrick Doyle Veronica Falls | 32 | March 3, 2018 | ?, U.S. | Suicide |
| Jeff St John | 71 | March 6, 2018 | Perth, Western Australia | Infection following surgery |
| Jerzy Milian | 82 | March 7, 2018 | Katowice, Poland | Natural causes |
| Milko Kelemen | 93 | March 8, 2018 | Stuttgart, Germany | Natural causes |
| Ken Dodd | 90 | March 11, 2018 | Knotty Ash, Liverpool, England | Chest infection |
| Craig Mack | 47 | March 12, 2018 | Walterboro, South Carolina, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Nokie Edwards The Ventures | 82 | March 12, 2018 | Yuma, Arizona, U.S. | Complications following hip surgery |
| Claudia Fontaine Afrodiziak | 57 | March 13, 2018 | | |
| Charlie Quintana The Plugz, Social Distortion, Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds | 56 | March 13, 2018 | Cancún, Mexico | Heart attack |
| Jimmy Wisner | 86 | March 13, 2018 | | |
| Buell Neidlinger Cecil Taylor, Frank Zappa, Duane Eddy | 82 | March 16, 2018 | | Unknown |
| Killjoy Necrophagia | 48 | March 18, 2018 | | Undisclosed causes |
| Peter "Mars" Cowling Pat Travers Band, Flying Hat Band | 72 | March 20, 2018 | U.S. | |
| Lys Assia winner of the first Eurovision Song Contest | 94 | March 24, 2018 | Zollikerberg, Zürich, Switzerland | |
| Mike Harrison Spooky Tooth | 75 | March 25, 2018 | Carlisle, England | |
| Seo Min-woo 100% | 33 | March 25, 2018 | Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea | Cardiac arrest |
| Jerry Williams | 75 | March 25, 2018 | Täby, Sweden | Cancer |
| Caleb Scofield Cave In, Old Man Gloom, Zozobra | 39 | March 28, 2018 | Bedford, New Hampshire, U.S. | Traffic collision |
| Alias Record producer from Anticon Records | 41 | March 30, 2018 | U.S. | Heart attack |
| Ron Dunbar Record producer | 77 | April 3, 2018 | U.S. | |
| Cecil Taylor | 89 | April 5, 2018 | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | |
| Avicii | 28 | April 20, 2018 | Muscat, Oman | Suicide |
| Bob Dorough | 94 | April 23, 2018 | Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Kato Khandwala Record producer from Blondie, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, The Pretty Reckless | 47 | April 25, 2018 | North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Traffic collision |
| Charles Neville The Neville Brothers | 79 | April 26, 2018 | Huntington, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| John "Jabo" Starks The J.B.'s | 79 | May 1, 2018 | Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | |
| Scott Hutchison Frightened Rabbit | 36 | May 9, 2018 | South Queensferry, Edinburgh, Scotland | Suicide by drowning |
| Phil Emmanuel | 65 | May 24, 2018 | Parkes, New South Wales, Australia | |
| María Dolores Pradera | 93 | May 28, 2018 | Madrid, Spain | |
| Eddy Clearwater | 83 | June 1, 2018 | Skokie, Illinois, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Ralph Santolla Obituary, Deicide, Iced Earth | 48 | June 6, 2018 | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Danny Kirwan Fleetwood Mac, Tramp | 68 | June 8, 2018 | London, England | |
| Jon Hiseman Colosseum, Colosseum II, Tempest, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Graham Bond Organisation | 73 | June 12, 2018 | Sutton, London, England | Brain cancer |
| D. J. Fontana | 87 | June 13, 2018 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| Matt "Guitar" Murphy | 88 | June 15, 2018 | Miami, Florida | Heart attack |
| XXXTentacion | 20 | June 18, 2018 | Deerfield Beach, Florida | Shot |
| Jimmy Wopo | 21 | June 18, 2018 | Hill District, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | shot |
| Vinnie Paul Abbott Pantera, Damageplan, Hellyeah | 54 | June 22, 2018 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Heart attack |
| Alan Longmuir Bay City Rollers | 70 | July 2, 2018 | Edinburgh, Scotland | |
| Jim Malloy Record producer | 87 | July 5, 2018 | | |
| Henry Butler | 69 | July 2, 2018 | New York City, New York, U.S. | Cancer |
| Stan Lewis Record producer from Jewel Records | 91 | July 15, 2018 | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Olga Jackowska Maanam | 67 | July 28, 2018 | Bliżów, Poland | Ovarian cancer |
| Oliver Dragojević | 70 | July 29, 2018 | Split, Croatia | |
| Mindaugas Remeikis Member of Mexicano | 36 | August 6, 2018 | Lithuania | Undisclosed |
| Jason "J-Sin" Luttrell Vocalist for Primer 55 | 40 | August 10, 2018 | ?, West Virginia, U.S. | Hepatitis C |
| Randy Rampage Annihilator | 58 | August 14, 2018 | Vancouver, Canada | Heart attack |
| Jill Janus Huntress | 42 | August 14, 2018 | Portland, Oregon, U.S. | Suicide |
| Fabio Melanitto Uff | 33 | August 15, 2018 | Narvarte Poniente, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico | Gunshot |
| Aretha Franklin | 76 | August 16, 2018 | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Pancreatic cancer |
| Danny Pearson | 65 | August 17, 2018 | Stonewall, Mississippi, U.S. | Liver cancer |
| Ed King Lynyrd Skynyrd, Strawberry Alarm Clock | 68 | August 22, 2018 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Lung cancer |
| Lazy Lester | 85 | August 22, 2018 | Paradise, California, U.S. | Stomach cancer |
| Kyle Pavone We Came as Romans | 28 | August 25, 2018 | Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| Conway Savage Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 58 | September 2, 2018 | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Brain tumour |
| Don Gardner | 87 | September 4, 2018 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Mac Miller | 26 | September 7, 2018 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Drug overdose |
| Maartin Allcock Fairport Convention | 61 | September 16, 2018 | | Liver cancer |
| Big Jay McNeely | 91 | September 16, 2018 | Moreno Valley, California, U.S. | Prostate cancer |
| Chas Hodges Chas & Dave, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Outlaws, Heads Hands & Feet | 74 | September 22, 2018 | England | Organ failure |
| Marty Balin Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship | 76 | September 27, 2018 | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| Otis Rush | 84 | September 29, 2018 | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | Stroke |
| Kim Larsen Gasolin' | 72 | September 30, 2018 | Odense, Denmark | Prostate cancer |
| Charles Aznavour | 94 | October 1, 2018 | Alpilles, France | Cardiac arrest |
| Geoff Emerick Record engineered from Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles | 72 | October 2, 2018 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Heart attack |
| John Wicks The Records | 65 | October 7, 2018 | Burbank, California, U.S. | Pancreatic cancer |
| Takehisa Kosugi | 80 | October 12, 2018 | Ashiya, Hyōgo, Japan | |
| Wah Wah Watson The Funk Brothers | 67 | October 24, 2018 | Santa Monica, California, U.S. | |
| Tony Joe White | 75 | October 24, 2018 | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | Heart attack |
| Todd Youth Agnostic Front, Danzig | 47 | October 27, 2018 | |
| Jimmy Farrar Molly Hatchet | 67 | October 29, 2018 | LaGrange, Georgia, U.S. | Heart failure |
| Hardy Fox The Residents | 73 | October 30, 2018 | San Anselmo, California, U.S. | Glioblastoma (Brain cancer) |
| Josh Fauver Deerhunter | 39 | November 2, 2018 | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| Glenn Schwartz James Gang, Pacific Gas & Electric, All Saved Freak Band | 78 | November 2, 2018 | U.S. | |
| John Manners Ray Brown & the Whispers | 77 | November 5, 2018 | | Undisclosed |
| Hugh McDowell Electric Light Orchestra | 65 | November 6, 2018 | | Cancer |
| Scott Harrick The Arbors | 80-81 | November 7, 2018 | Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico | Stroke |
| Roy Clark | 85 | November 15, 2018 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | Pneumonia |
| Devin Lima LFO | 41 | November 21, 2018 | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | Adrenal cancer |
| Jody Williams | 83 | December 1, 2018 | Munster, Indiana, U.S. | Cancer |
| Pete Shelley The Buzzcocks | 63 | December 6, 2018 | Tallinn, Estonia | Heart attack |
| Nancy Wilson | 81 | December 13, 2018 | Pioneertown, California, U.S. | |
| Joe Osborn The Wrecking Crew | 81 | December 14, 2018 | Greenwood, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Herman Sikumbang Seventeen | 36 | December 22, 2018 | Tanjung Lesung, Banten, Indonesia | Drowned from Sunda Strait Tsunami 2018 |
| M. Awal "Bani" Purbani Seventeen | 36 | December 22, 2018 | Tanjung Lesung, Banten, Indonesia | Drowned from Sunda Strait Tsunami 2018 |
| Windu Andi Harmawan Seventeen | 36 | December 24, 2018 | Pandeglang Regency, Indonesia | Drowned from Sunda Strait Tsunami 2018 |
| Jerry Riopelle Record producer | 77 | December 24, 2018 | | Cancer |
| James Calvin Wilsey Avengers | 61 | December 24, 2018 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Multiple organ failure |
| Dean Ford Marmalade | 72 | December 31, 2018 | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Parkinson's disease |
| Ray Sawyer Dr. Hook | 81 | December 31, 2018 | Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | |